MANCHESTER — Having left Manchester United in great shape 12 years ago,
not long after firing them to a third straight league title, Cristiano Ronaldo is
set to return to a club that is looking to recapture the glory days.
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They say never go back, but United fans had
been longing for Ronaldo to rejoin their side for many years, more in forlorn hope
than anything else.
A Ronaldo return to England could have
triggered very different emotions among United's following widespread reports
that the Portugal forward was on the verge on joining rivals Manchester City
come to fruition.
Instead, subject to personal terms being
agreed, a visa and medical clearance, Ronaldo will return to the club that
turned him from scrawny teenager in 2003 to a Ballon d'Or winner in less than
five years — a player who transformed United into a force at home and abroad.
Between his Premier League debut in August
2003 and his final appearance in May 2009, only Thierry Henry scored more goals
(92) than
Ronaldo's tally of 84.
His goals helped United to reach the
Champions League final in 2008 and 2009.
Ronaldo scored 15 goals in 52 Champions
League appearances for United, including eight during their victorious 2007–08
campaign, netting in the final against Chelsea.
Only Ruud van Nistelrooy has
ever scored more times in a single Champions League campaign for the club.
Ronaldo has remained a fan favorite at
United even since leaving the club.
When he returned to Manchester with Real
Madrid in 2013, upon scoring the winner at Old Trafford to knock United out of the
Champions League, Ronaldo refused to celebrate.
He received rapturous applause
from United supporters, who had been singing his name all match.
Ronaldo has often spoken in glowing terms
of his time at United and has labeled former manager Alex Ferguson as his "father
in football".
Widespread reports in the British media
said Ferguson, now retired but still a director at the club, had a hand in
talking Ronaldo out of a move to City and instead back to Old Trafford.
Former
defender Rio Ferdinand also claimed he had called Ronaldo to dissuade him from
joining Pep Guardiola's side.
Inspiring today's United will present
Ronaldo with a very different challenge to when he joined the league champions
in 2003.
United have not won the English top flight
for eight years, and have not progressed beyond the Champions League quarter-finals
since 2011.
After an impressive transfer window that also saw Jadon Sancho and
Raphael Varane come in, there is renewed hope that this can be United's year.
"Ronaldo will be coming to win
trophies, personal accolades, set the Premier League on fire," former
defender Gary Neville told Sky Sports. "It is a different Ronaldo,
everyone expected that.
"I was a little bit fearful watching
Chelsea last weekend, knowing (Man) City are going to be strong, Liverpool has
Virgil van Dijk back, that United could improve but finish in a lower position.
But this news gives me more hope that they can have a great season."
But not everyone is convinced. Ronaldo did
not achieve what he set out to do at Juventus and win the Champions League.
During
his three years in Turin, Juve did not progress past the last eight in the
competition.
A reported outlay of 25 million euros by United
and weekly wage of 480,000 pounds appears
to be a substantial investment for the
services of a 36-year-old.
But United fans will not care about any of
that.
They got one over on their great rivals City in securing one of their reported
targets, one who could have filled the void left by the departure of all-time
top goal scorer Sergio Aguero, and will have their prodigal son back playing
where they feel he belongs.
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